Performance - Uncover Liverpool

Mark Thomas – Hit Refresh: 50 ...

Mark Thomas has a spring run of his latest show Hit Refresh: 50 Things About Us. Combining his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material, Mark examines how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom.

Delighted to be back on the road once again, Mark picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel.

An unstoppable force both on and off-stage, Mark has stopped arms deals, created a manifesto and brought the winning policy to parliament, walked the entire length of the Israeli wall in the West Bank, set up a comedy club in Jenin, had six series on Channel 4 alongside several television documentaries and radio series, written some books, grabbed a Guinness World Record, toured sell-out tours, won numerous awards, nabbed himself a Medal of Honour and succeeded in changing some laws along the way.

50 Things About Us is also a podcast, and was published as a book last year by September Publishing.

Filla Crack’s Pre-Easter Drag Ca...

Hey there hop stuff, celebrate Easter a week early with Liverpool’s first lady, Miss Filla Crack and her very special guests.

If you fancy joining in with friends, family, or alone, the event is designed for you to feel welcomed, loved and part of a community, whether it’s with someone you know and love, or a stranger in the room.

A freshly prepared meal will be brought to your table and local cabaret stars will entertain you throughout the night.

So, crack on and book a ticket as Filla’s shows always sell out.

Menu options

Included in your ticket price is a cocktail upon arrival and meal courtesy of Eat Up Gud Flavours of the Caribbean before the show at 7.30pm. Your menu choices are:

Chicken Curry
Chicken thigh cooked with sweet potato, coconut and lime; a mild curry full of flavour. Served with traditional rice and peas, coleslaw and naan bread

Rainbow Vegan Curry
Thick flavoursome mild curry with a medley of vegetables, chickpeas, coconut and lime. Served with traditional rice and peas, coleslaw and naan bread

Manchester Collective: Neon

As the sun starts to dip below the horizon, our cities change. This nocturnal world, this neon world, is a place of mystery where anything is possible.

Built around Steve Reich’s monumental Double Sextet, Manchester Collective’s new show interrogates the darker side of our urban dreams, evoking the intrigue and momentum of sleepless nights and crowded streets. Fast. Slow. Fast. Keep up. Don’t be late.

A pair of new music commissions lie at the heart of this programme. Hannah Peel’s titular ‘Neon’ fuses layers of live electronics and field recordings from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo with acoustic performances, whilst Berlin-based artist Lyra Pramuk presents her first major work for chamber ensemble – a meditation on feelings of disconnection and grief.

Known for their experimental programming and daring collaborations, Manchester Collective perform a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces and staged work in venues ranging from concert halls to warehouses, nightclubs to festivals.

Epstein Lounge Sessions: International...

Showcasing talent from across the city, join Satellite Music & Events for the Epstein Lounge Sessions, at Brian’s Bar within the Epstein Theatre.

Each month Satellite bring you a fantastic line up of musicians, spoken word performers and poets and this month they will be showcasing some amazing acts to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The line up for the event will be announced soon.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Home Truths

Kiri Pritchard-McLean (Have I Got News For You?, Live at the Apollo) is back with a brand new tour.

It’s been a big few years for most of us and Kiri is no different. She’s moved back to her home island of Anglesey, struggled with lockdown and got herself some rescue chickens.

You can expect jokes about skinny jeans, learning Welsh and white supremacy – something for everyone.

Open Mic Night In The Unity Bar

Join Unity on Friday 4 March for the next instalment of their brand new monthly Unity Open Mic Night.

There will be a mix of live music, spoken word, comedy and theatre from some wonderful artists.

Entry is donations on the door (we recommend £5) as all proceeds go to the artists performing! For those who can’t afford to pay an entry fee, please do still come down and support local talent.

If you are an artist interested in performing at one of Unity’s open mic events, please do get in touch with them either via their socials or email Jennifervaudrey@gmail.com

Blast! 2

Blast! is music, Spoken Word, magic and comedy – and features some of Merseyside’s most talented performers.

For Blast #2 they have spoken word from the brilliant The Queen of Heartache -one of Liverpool’s most outrageous performers!

Jennifer Vaudrey is an outstanding singer and performer – Jen curates her own nights at the Unity and the Neptune theatres, and will be sprinkling her magic at Jimmy’s on the 24th.

Speaking of magic, Steve Price is an outstanding comedy magician who hosts his own Magic on the Mersey monthly event.

Mark J’s columns for United We Stand are legendary, and he will be joined by talented wordsmiths Laura Ferries and Louise Evans, along with the ever-excellent Give Poetry a Chance poet and curator Dan Cullinan.

There will be laughs aplenty from the mysterious Barry Comedy, and after the Blast Pop Culture Quiz Spot the Bastard (answer number 7 is ‘Every Tory Ever’), there will be comedy and spoken word from Saint Vespaluus. Saint headlined downstairs at Jimmy’s in October, and will be debuting his new poems ‘The Old People’s Retirement Home Pie Company’ and ‘Haulin’ Oats’.

Please note that Jimmy’s Liverpool is strictly 18+. Anyone underage will not be granted entry. They strongly advise customers to bring ID as we enforce a ‘Challenge 25’ policy. No refunds will be issued to underage ticket holders.

Spoken Word – February

The Reader’s Spoken Word event for February will feature Liverpool based band, Sunstack Jones, alongside a selection of supporting poets.

Spoken Word events encompass a huge variety of writing and performance styles, from the intimately personal and heart-breaking to the uproariously funny and celebratory. Poetry in all its forms will be the main feature, along with memoirs, stories, monologues and any number of almost-indefinable types of prose!

They recommend this event for adults 18+. Doors 7pm. The Mansion House is wheelchair accessible, for access enquiries please contact: tickets@thereader.org.uk.

Rachael Doman
A second appearance for Rachael at the Mansion House (following her lovely set for the Bandaged Moments poetry evening at last November’s Gravity Festival at The Reader). Rachael is the co-founder of the Magpies and Pigeons poetry collective and her curated show was one of the highlights of at last year’s Smithdown Festival. Rache is a brilliant poet in her own right and her poems of love and loss are an absolute delight.

Saint Vespaluus
Expect tales and poems of the heartbreak caused by the unsolicited comments of Joe Public; the nightmare of being a New Romantic in 1980s Anfield – and how to approach singing songs about Branwell Brontë without causing offence.

Paddy Clarke
Paddy Clarke is a superb musician and brilliantly talented wordsmith. Paddy’s take on one of John Cooper-Clarke’s most famous poems is a work of near-genius. They’re already looking forward to seeing Paddy back at the Mansion House.

Sunstack Jones
They are indeed privileged to welcome one of Britain’s best bands to The Reader. Sunstack Jones are BBC 6 Music regulars and a big favourite on the live circuits. The band has released four beautiful albums which mix ‘indie’, psychedelia and dreampop to stunning effect.

Spoken Word 11 will be a great night!

Barely Visible at The Arts Centre, Edg...

Barely Visible, directed by Elinor Randle and performed by Rowena Gander, is an empowering physical solo performance that explores sexualisation, (fe)male gaze and what it really feels like to live in the shadows.

The piece incorporates the use of a 100-kilo vertical pole, of which dance theatre artist Rowena examines control and visibility in what’s been described as a ‘moving and powerful’ semi-auto biographical performance.

Rowena will perform at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool on Saturday 19th February 2022 as part of the venue’s ‘Open Call Programme’ – which saw the piece selected as part of a competitive call for new work – before taking the show to The Arts Centre at Edge Hill University on Tuesday 15th March.

A full tour is set to be confirmed very soon, funded by Arts Council England

Barely Visible at Unity Theatre